Improvement in car-couplings



W. J. DODGE.

Car Coupling.

No. 35,994. I I I Patented July 29, 1862.

Witnesses WW lnventon U ITED STATES \VILLIAM JAMES DODGE,

IMPROVEMENT IN on KASOAG, NEW roan.

CAR-COUPLINGS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No 35,994, dated July 29, 1862.

To all whom it may concern.-

Beit known that 1, WILLIAM J AMES DODGE,

of Kasoag, county of Oswego, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Couplings for Railroad-Oars,

which I denominate an Automatic Set-Olevis Coupling with Lever Guard; andI do hereby declare and ascertain the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 represents the bumpers disconnected. Fig.3 represents my device working and connected. Fig. 4. represents the block A and disconnecting-lever E; Fig. 2 represents my device in the act of being disconnected. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the eccentric governing-clevis. I

Like letters refer to like parts in all the drawings.

The object of my invention is to produce a coupling which may be made automatic or self-acting when desired, or adjustable by hand if any peculiar circumstances require,

and also to produce a coupling which may be readily disconnected while in operation if required, and which may be so coupled as to disconnect itself when the leading car runs off the track, or may be so connected in this respect as to be permanent when desired.

The object of the automatic or self-acting feature of myinvention is to render the act of coupling cars under ordinary circumstances both convenient and safe for the operator. \Vhen the cars come together, as in the ordinary manner of coupling them, the space between them is so narrow that many cases have occurred where the operator has been crushed and instantly killed. The great danger to which the operator is thus exposed has called forth a number of devices intended to avoid this dangerous exposure of life; but every device which I have seen for this purpose has either failed to accomplish the desired object or combined some element which rendered its use impracticable.

The construction of my improvement is as follows: The attachment of my coupling to the car may be similar to the ordinary coupling connections, the bumpers differing somewhat in form from those in ordinary use, as seen at F and F in the drawings. On the top and front end of the bumper I secure apin, G, the

upper end of which inclines backward to prevent the coupling 0 from jarring off and becoming accidentallydisconnected while in use, the combined guard A and disconnecting-lever E being pivoted at It, so that when the said guard is raised (by means of a cord attached to the staple I, or other convenient method arranged for use in case of accident, or whenever desired) the disconnecting-lever E isthrown up against the coupling 0 and raises it off from the pin G, as clearly seen at Fig. 2.

My method of coupling cars under ordinary circumstances may be described as follows: The coupling 0 is thrown up over the bumper in a position back of a vertical line, and the projecting prongs of governing-clevis b are so arranged that the act of throwing up the coupling Cwill bring the said clevis into nearly a horizontal position, its front bent end projecting below the pivot upon which it turns and out beyond the bumper to which it is attached, and in this position it is sustained by the coupling 0 leaning back against the said lugsK ofthe governing-clevis, and causing said lugs K to rest againt the-fixed studs L, which project from the bumpers. WVhile one of the bumpers and its attachment are thus arranged, the other to which it is to be coupled is arranged with the guard A, standing in the'position shown in Fig. 2, which, by leaning back ward, will remain in that position, (resting on its lower shoulders on the top of the bumper.) Thus, while both bumpers and their attachments are in the position just described the two cars are brought together and the ends of one of the bumpers come in contact with the projecting clevis b, which throws the coupling over onto the lever Eand causes it and the guard A to descend; and the whole arrangement assumes the position shown in Fig. 3, and is connected for operation.

It will be observed by reference to Fig. 3 that if the link 0 is connected and the bumper F is leading or drawing the other and should suddenly drop, as would be the case if its car should run off the track, the pin G would be drawn off from the link 0 and the coupling would become disconnected; but if this selfaction is not desired, the coupling 0 may be used instead of the coupling 0, (while the car bearing the bumper F is ahead,) in which case the connection would be permanent without the possibility of being disconnected by the leading car falling from the track.

In order to keep the coupling 0' securely in place while in use it is necessary that the guard A should be down in position, as shown in Fig. 3, and in order to insure this position of guard A it is so attached to the bumper and connected with lever E that the coupling 0 cannot be hooked over onto the pin G without depressing the lever E, as will be seen in Fig. 2, and the act of depressing the said lever E forces over the guard A down into position as seen at Fig. 3, thus forming a perfect safety arrangement, which prevents in this respect the possibility of accident from carelessness or any other cause.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim therein as new, and desire to'secure by Letters Patten-t, is-- WM. JAMES DODGE.

\Vitnesses:

GEO. J. GARDNER, ANDREW J. SMITH. 

